This invention relates to the installation and removal of a control rod drive from a reactor vessel and, more particularly, to control rod drive handling equipment which utilizes a rigid chain configuration to move the control rod drive.
To remove the control rod drives from a boiling water reactor, the control rod drives are withdrawn from the reactor vessel through the bottom of the reactor vessel into the undervessel area of the boiling water reactor. The control rod drives are then removed from the undervessel area through control rod drive penetration access holes in the vessel support structure and in the drywell structure.
French patent application 2,573,832 filed Nov. 23, 1984 entitled "Thrust Chain", which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a chain having a plurality of links including a first side plate and a second side plate. Each side plate has a heel for bearing against an adjacent heel to provide a rigid chain, which may bend in only one direction.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus and method which utilizes an extendable rigid structure for handling the control rod drives.